I receive widows disability from husband and social security disability from my own. Monthly income 1100....can I work a part time job driving school schoolbus 9 months out of the year in still collect my disability checks

Hi,

Your work and earnings would almost certainly not affect either of your benefits as long as your gross wages do not exceed $1180 per month. Social Security would look at your average monthly earnings, but if you only work 9-months per year they would use a nine month average, not a 12 month average.

For example, say Sally draws disability benefits and returns to part time work. Sally's calendar year earnings total $12000, so if she was working all 12 months her earnings would average $1000 per month. However, Sally only works 9 months during the year, so her countable average monthly earnings would be roughly $1333 (i.e. $12000/9). And, since her average monthly earnings exceed Social Security's guideline for what is considered substantial gainful work, Sally's disability benefits could be terminated.

Social Security does allow people receiving disability benefits a 9 month trial work period during which their benefits do not end even if their earnings exceed the $1180 monthly guideline. So, if you haven't previously done any work since you started receiving disability benefits then you would likely not lose your benefits right away at least. However, if you continued or resumed working and earning more than the $1180 guideline after completing your 9 month trial work period, your work would likely cause your benefits to stop. By the way, $1180 is the 2018 guideline for determining what is considered by Social Security to be substantial gainful work, but that amount is adjusted annually.

For more information on working while receiving Social Security benefits, refer to the following Social Security publication: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf.

Best, Jerry